Arrangement for feeding paper sheets



15, 1939. N. s. A. STROMBERG ET AL 2,169,400

ARRANGEMENT FOR FEEDING PAPER SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1936 %rambcr a. MAM/nag f 5, 1939. N. e. A. STROMBERG ET AL 2,169, 00

ARRANGEMENT FOR FEEDING PAPER SHEETS Filed May 26, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 15, N. G. A. STROMBERG z-rr AL ,400

ARRANGEMENT.FOR FEEDING PAPER SHEETS Filed May 26, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARRANGEMENT FOR FEEDING PAPER SHEETS Nils Gustaf Allanson Striimberg and Georg Widlund, Stockholm,

Sweden 17 Claims.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for feeding paper sheets. Previously, a method of feeding paper sheets to printing presses and machines of such type has been used I in which the sheets are fed successively from a stack of sheets so that the sheets form a continuous path in. which the sheets overlap each other partly in the longitudinal direction of the path. The front edge of each sheet becomes thus free to be gripped asit is to be fed to the printing press. The gripping members used for the purpose and operating constantly underneath the sheet path have hitherto been constructed so as to initially grip the sheet and while maintaining the grip then pull it forward to be introduced between feeding rollers taking the sheet to the printing press. In other words, the gripping members have carried out the gripping operation proper as well as the pulling operation. Having said double function the apparatus has suffered from certain drawbacks as for instance that when the paper sheet is to be introduced between the feeding rollers it has lost, for a moment, its contactwith the gripping members whereby the introduction of the sheet between the feeding rollers has been uncertain, so much the more as air is blown to the lower side of the sheet in a manner known per se in a direction opposite to the feeding direction.

The present invention which has for its object to remove the drawbacks is substantially characterized by one gripping member or a group of such members for initially elevating the sheet and another gripping member or group of gripping members for afterwards pulling the sheet forward.

By this arrangement of gripping members it is possible to feed the sheet without causing it to lose, at any moment, the contact with the gripping members or the feeding rollers whereby the introduction of the sheet between said rollers is fully assured.

According to one important feature of the invention the arrangement comprises sheet elevating member or members to engage the sheet on the upper side thereof and then sheet pulling member or members to engage, afterwards, the lower side thereof.

Initially, the edge portion of the sheet is turned up by the upper side gripping members which are adapted to elevate the sheet. After elevating the sheet the lower side gripping members are carried underneath the elevated sheet to grip and pull it forward.

In the accompanying drawings a suitable arrangernent for carrying out the method according to the invention is shown by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section on line I-I, Fig. 3, and showing a part of the arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a similar side elevation, partly in vertical section, taken on line IIII, Fig. ,3, and showing a fraction of the arrangement.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the arrangement.

Figs. 4,. 5 and 6 are side elevations of various details of the mechanism, transmitting the movements to the gripping members.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are elevations, partly in section, showing the upper and lower side gripping members for the sheet in different positions.

Fig. 10 is a vertical section showing, on an enlarged scale, one of the members engaging the sheet on the upper side thereof,

Fig. 11 is an elevation, partly in vertical section on line XI-XI of Fig. 3 and showing the suction generating means, and

Fig. 12 is a top View, partly in section, showing a suction control device in detail.

Referring to the drawings, the substantial elements of the arrangement are carried by two side frames 1. It is to be noted that the detailed construction of those. frames is of no importance for the invention and, therefore, the frames are shown diagrammatically and have their top and bottom broken away. For the sake of clearness, in Figures 4, 5, 6, and 11, parts or elements positioned behind those parts or elements actually described with reference to the respective figures are omitted in said figures.

The two side frames 1 are connected by stayshafts 2 and 3, extending therebetween and passed therethrough. ,Journalled in the side frames l are a band roller 4 and a cam shaft 5 and further shafts 6 and l to which are secured feeding rollers 8 and 9; the rollers '8 engage the 40 hand roller 4 and the rollers 9 engage the rollers i8. Secured longitudinally to the stay-shaft 2 are guide pieces H, forming a support for the paper sheet I 2 in its passage between the rollers 9 and 8. The rollers ID are journalled at the rear ends of the guide pieces II. The roller 4 and the shaft 1 are driven by means of gear wheels l3, l4, l5, l6, and I1 from the shaft 5 (Figs. 1 and 3). I8 is the upper front edge of a stack of paper sheets. Extending parallelly with said edge is a suction pipe l9, and mounted along said pipe are nozzle holders 2!), in which the suction nozzles 2| are mounted to slide up and down. The suction pipe [9' is fixed at its ends to tilting levers 22, which are displaceably conengages the upper side of necting the links 23 and the levers 24 are angular arms or levers 28, 29, the latter arms 29 being connected to the tilting levers 22 by draw-links 38, and the former arms 28 being connected by draw-rods 3| to cam levers 32 (Fig. 4), rotatably mounted on the rear shaft 2 and having rollers 33 engaging cam disks 34 secured to the shaft 5. Furthermore, the links means of draw-rods 35 (Fig. 6) to cam levers 36, 31 pivoted to the shaft 3 and having rollers 34 engaging cam disks 39, secured to the shaft 5. Between the arms 31 of the cam levers 36, 31 and the cam levers 24 are springs 49, and between said arms 31 and the angular levers 28, 29 are springs 50 clamped so as to force all the cam levers to engage theirrollers on the corresponding cam disks.

Parallel to the front edge of the sheet stack is a further suction pipe 4|] (Fig. 2) carried by levers 4|, pivoted to a shaft 5 and connected by draw-links 42 to cam levers 43 which have rollers 44 engaging cam disks 45 secured to the shaft 5. Furthermore a draw-spring 46 is mounted between the levers 4| and the cam levers 43.

Secured to the suction pipe 48 which is able to rotate within the levers 4| are cam levers 41 having rollers 48 engaging cam disks 48 fixed to the shaft 5.

Secured to the suction pipe 40 at a plurality of points thereon are pipes 5| extending laterally and having their outer ends formed as or forming a holder for the suction nozzles 52.

53 is a blast pipe having blowing nozzles 54 secured thereto and adapted to blow air in a known manner to the lower side of the sheet to be fed. r

Each of the suction nozzles engaging the sheet on the upper side comprises the holder 28 and the mouth piece 2| proper, the latter being yieldingly connected with the holder. The part forming the nozzle is secured to a pin 55 adapted to slide up and down in the holder 28 and surrounded by a spring 51 mounted between the holder 28 and a shoulder 55 on the pin. 58 is a cock, by which the suction conduit 59 leading to the nozzle 5| may be opened or closed.

The nozzles 2| and 52, the former of which the sheet,the latter engaging the lower side thereof, are disposed along the suction pipe so'as to engage in the spacebetween each other (Fig. 1) whereby the nozzles 2| do not affect the movements of the nozzles 52 in the vertical plane or vice versa.

'The suction pipes l9 and 40 are connected by flexible conduits 10, 1| respectively to a regulating valve 12 guided by a cam disk 13 secured to the shaft 5; the valve in turn being connected to a suction pump 14 by a pipe as clearly shown in Figure 11. The pressure side of the pump is connected to the blast tube 53 by a flexible pipe 16. p g

The valve comprises an inner tubular member 16 fitted at one end in and secured to a bracket 11 fixed to the stay-shaft 3. The tubular member 16 is surrounded by two valve casings 18 and 19 communicating with the conduits 18 and 1| respectively, and slidably mounted within the member 16 is a sleeve 88. A spring 8| engaging the inner end of said sleeve is adapted to force a roller 82 mounted at the outer end of 23 are connected by.

the sleeve against the circumferential flange or rim of the cam disk 13. The tubular member 16 has three slots 83, 84 and. 85, one of which is positioned between the two casings 18, 19 and opens to the atmosphere. The remaining slots 83 and 85 are situated within said casings 18 and 19 respectively. Two corresponding slots 86,81 are arranged in the wall of the sleeve 88. The cam disk 13 has three axial surfaces 88, 89'and 96 adapted to be engaged successively by the roller 82 when the cam disk is rotated. When the roller 82 engages the surface 88 as shown in Fig. 12 slots 86 and the inner of the valve thus communicates with the atmosphere. On rotation of the disk 13 the roller 82 will engage the lower surface 89 allowing the sleeve to move axially by the action of the spring 16 so as to bring slot 81 in. alignment with slot 85 and thus opening a communication between the suction side of the pump and the suction pipe 40. At the same time the connection to the atmosphere is shut off, because slot 86 moves out of alignment with slot 84. Further rotation of the disk 13 causes the roller 82 to engage the lowest surface 90 so that the inner end of the sleeve 80 will pass the slot 83 which consequently opens a communication between the suction side of the pump and the suction pipe l9. The outer end of the sleeve 89 has secured thereto a radial arm 9| having a forkshaped end 92 engaging the shaft 3 and adapted to slide therealong when the sleeve moves axially.

Supposing that the suction members 2| and 52 respectively engaging the upper and the lower side of the sheet have the positions shown in Fig. '1, the operation of the arrangement during 7 a revolution of the cam shaft 5 is the following, the nozzles 2| moving along the closed path 60 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and thenozzles 52 moving along the closed path 6| similarly shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines. The nozzles 2| engaging the uppermost sheet in the stack suck the sheet so that then said nozzles are of the sheet, under the influence of the levers 22 and 28, which are actuated by the cam levers 32 and the cam disk 34 (Fig. 4) by way of the draw-links 3|. The nozzles 2| move straight up wards and carry along the sheet such movement being caused by the links 23 and the cam levers 24, which are actuated by the cam disks 26. At the same time the nozzles 2| are rocked back. When the nozzles most position, the nozzles 52 move underneath the elevated sheet under the influence of the shaft 41 (Fig. 2) obtaining its movement by the draw-links 42 from the cam'levers 43, which areactuated by the cam disks 45. At the same time the suction is shifted in the pipes l9 and 40 by means of the valve 12 and the cam disk 13 to cause the former pipe to operate and to set the latter pipe out of operation, the sheet being released by the nozzles 2| and immediately gripped by the nozzles 52. The free nozzles 2| will then rapidly move forward (to the left in Fig. 1) and downwards past the front edge 'of the paper sheets, such operation being caused initially by the rods 35 and the cam levers 36, actuated by the cam disks 39 (Fig. 6), and then by the links 23 and the cam levers 24 actuated by the cam disks 26 (Fig. 5). The nozzles 2| will then. pass back (to the right in Fig. 1) and downward under the influence of the links 23 which are actuated by the cam levers 36 and the drawrods 35. The nozzles 2| have now returned to 84' are in register, and

it adheres there-against, and tilted, turning up'the edge 2| have reached their upper-'- their initial position as shown in Fig. '7 to take another paper sheet.

In the meantime the nozzles 52 carrying the paper sheet 12 have moved upwards under the influence of the cam levers 41 secured to the suction pipe 4t (Fig. 2) and actuated by the cam disks 48, and then move backwards pulling the paper sheet forwards, the latter operation being caused by the levers 4!. The front edge of the sheet pulled forwards in this manner is fed between the feeding rollers 9 and ID. This instant is shown in Fig. 7, the suction in the pipe 40 being broken at the same time by the valve 72. The feeding rollers 9 and I carry the sheet over the bridges H into the space between the rollers 8 and 4 the latter being a band roller, associated with a band conveyor carrying the sheet to the printing press. The nozzles 52 then move downwards and backwards (to the right in Fig. 2) and are introduced below a sheet again elevated by the nozzles 2|.

The paper sheet is not able to become free at any moment of the feeding operation described above, to such an extent that it could be fed between the feeding rollers 9 and l B, before it is positively delivered thereto by the nozzles 52. The only moment in which the paper is released is during the shifting from the nozzles 2| to the nozzles 52, but at this moment the nozzles are in close proximity to each other so as to prevent the sheet from moving in horizontal direction.

What we claim is 1. In a sheet feeder, a group of gripping members for initially engaging and lifting a sheet from a supply of sheets and a group of suction gripping members for moving between the supply and the lifted sheet and pulling the latter for- Ward.

2. In a sheet feeder, a group of gripping members arranged in spaced relation for initially engaging an edge portion of a sheet and separating it from a supply of sheets and a group of suction gripping members operating in the spaces between the first named members for moving between the supply and the lifted edge portion of the separated sheet, engaging said edge portion of the separated sheet and pulling said sheet forward.

3. In a sheet feeder, a group of spaced gripping members for initially engaging and lifting a sheet from a supply of sheets and a group of spaced suction gripping members each operating in a space between a pair of said first named members for moving between the supply and the lifted sheet, engaging said lifted sheet and pulling it forward.

4. In a sheet feeder, a group of sheet separating members acting on one side of a sheet to separate it from a supply of sheets and a group of suction sheet forwarding members acting on the opposite side of the separated sheet and movable between the supply and the separated sheet to engage the latter.

5. In a sheet feeder, sheet lifting members for gripping an edge portion of a sheet on the upper side thereof and lifting it from a supply of sheets, suction sheet pulling members for gripping said edge portion of the sheet on the underside thereof and pulling it forward, operating means for the sheet lifting members moving them so that they turn up said edge portion. of the sheet before it is lifted, and operating means for said suction sheet pulling members moving them between the supply and the lifted sheet to grip the latter.

6. In a sheet feeder, the combination with means to which sheets are fed from a supply thereof and suction means for engaging the front edge portion of the top sheet of the supply on its upper side and lifting it from said supply without advancing the sheet thereover, of suction means for moving inwardly between the supply and the lifted sheet, gripping said edge portion on the underside thereof, and moving outwardly from said supply to advance said sheet therefrom to said first named means.

'7. In a sheet feeder, a group of sheet lifting members for engaging the upper side of a sheet and lifting it from a supply of sheets, a group of suction sheet pulling members for moving between said supply and the lifted sheet and gripping and pulling the latter forward, and cooperating rollers for receiving the sheet from said suction sheet pulling members and feeding said sheet forward therefrom.

8. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially lifting a sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under and gripping the lifted sheet and pulling it forward.

9. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet, gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward.

10. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet, gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward, means for creating suction in the sheet lifting and pulling nozzles, and means for breaking the suction in the sheet lifting nozzles when they have lifted the sheet and the sheet pulling nozzles have moved thereunder, whereby the lifted sheet is released from said sheet lifting nozzles and immediately gripped by said sheet pulling nozzles.

11. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet, gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward, and cooperating levers, draw-links and driven cams for moving the sheet lifting and pulling nozzles upward, forward, downward and rearward in closed paths relative to the principal direction in which the sheet is fed.

12. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet, gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward, a suction pump, conduits connecting the sheet lifting and pulling nozzles with said pump, cooperating levers, draw-links and driven cams for moving said sheet lifting and pulling nozzles upward, forward, downward and rearward in closed paths relative to the principal direction in which the sheet is fed, and means for breaking the suction in the sheet lifting nozzles before they move forwardly and when the sheet pulling nozzles have moved rearwardly and upwardly under the lifted sheet.

13. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a with said pump, cooperating levers, draw-links and driven cams for moving said sheet lifting and pulling nozzles upward, forward, downward and rearward in closed paths relative to the principal direction in which the sheet is fed, and valve means in said conduits for breaking the 'suction in the sheet lifting nozzles before they move forward and for creating suction in the sheet pulling nozzles when they move rearward and upward under the lifted sheet and suction is broken in said sheet lifting nozzles.

14. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet, gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward, holders for the sheet lifting nozzles, operating means for the sheet lifting nozzles and carrying said holders, and spring means connecting the holders and the sheet lifting nozzles, said spring means yieldably pressing said sheet lifting nozzles against the upper side of the sheet and being movable with the sheet lifting nozzles and holders during movement of the same imparted thereto by said operating means.

115. In a sheet feeder, the combination with a group of V suction nozzles for initially gripping the upper side of a sheet and lifting said sheet without advancing it, of another group of suction nozzles for moving under the lifted sheet,

gripping it on its under side, and pulling said lifted sheet forward, holders for the sheet lifting nozzles, operating means for the sheet lifting nozzles and carrying the holders, pins carrying the sheet lifting nozzles provided with spaced shoulders and slidably mounted in the holders, and springs mounted on the pins between said shoulders for counteracting upward movement of said pins and sheet lifting nozzles relative to in proper timed relation.

17. In a sheet feeder, a group of spaced sheet separating members, for lifting a sheet from a I supply of sheets, a group of spaced suction sheet forwarding members, said separating and forwarding members acting on the front edge portion of the sheet and each member of one group operating in the space between a pair of members of the other group, sheet winding means arranged :1

between some of said members, and means for operating said groups in proper timed relation and for moving the sheet forwarding members between the supply and the lifted sheet to engage the latter.

NILS GUSTAF ALLANsoN sTRoMBERG. GEORG WIDLUND. 

